Over 32,000 Catalans newly registered in a foreign country in 2023

Some 386,486 Catalan citizens currently reside outside of Spain, according to the Catalan Statistic Institute's (Idescat) data on January 1, 2024, up 19,119 on last year  

The number of Catalans newly registering themselves in a foreign country increased by 32,675 people. It represents the highest amount since at least 2009 and an increase of 22% in comparison to 2023. According to Idescat's data, the number of Catalans living abroad has not stopped increasing since 2009. 

More than half of Catalans living abroad were born in a foreign country (64.3%). A third, 123,419 people, left Catalonia to live abroad. 

More than half of the Catalans residing in a foreign country used to live in Barcelonès county, which includes Barcelona and four neighboring cities. 

56,496 Catalans in France 

Regardless of birthplace, France ranks first for number of Catalans living abroad, with a total of 56,496.  

Next is the United Kingdom (35,277), followed by Argentina (32,802) and Germany (32,474), which mostly has people from Osona and Lluçanès counties residing there. 

Most Catalans, born in Catalonia reside in Europe (68.1%). On the other hand, 60.7% of those residing in their country of birth are on the American continent. 

The Catalan county with the most foreign-born Catalans is La Noguera, which has 2,553 registered residents abroad, most of them in Argentina. 

Catalans can be found all over the world: out of the new inscriptions in 2023, 35.4% live in Asia and 33.5% in the Americas.